Chapter 21

"Hm?"

Shi Changyuan looked at Lin Ling's embarrassed, angry expression, then recalled his earlier struggle. He seemed to understand something and smiled. "Afraid of water?"

"Of course not." Lin Ling was stubborn to the end. "It's just that Mushroom had never seen water that deep."

Shi Changyuan chuckled but did not expose him.

Lin Ling felt as though he had been laughed at, yet there was nothing he could say. He could only pretend to be an angry mushroom and let the malicious human guess.

"Don't be angry, Lingling." Shi Changyuan carried Lin Ling to the shallows. Lin Ling sat on a rock, the water reaching just to his chest.

Lin Ling gave a soft huff, clearly harboring two or three seconds of ill intent as he waited for Shi Changyuan to offer him a way out.

"So what does Lingling want Me to do?" Shi Changyuan asked directly.

Lin Ling glanced at Shi Changyuan, huffed again, then asked hesitantly, "I... want to know how you got this wound."

"Is that okay?"

Lin Ling pointed to the first scar he had noticed, the largest and deepest one on Shi Changyuan's chest. It extended from beneath his left collarbone toward his heart, disappearing into his robes.

Shi Changyuan saw how cautious Lin Ling was, as though afraid he had brought up some unspeakable trauma.

His brow lifted slightly, amusement in his eyes. "It can be, but..."

"Lingling has to tell Me why he wants to know."

"Ah..." Lin Ling was stumped at once. He did not seem to know himself, but after thinking honestly for a while, he gave an answer. "Maybe because I want to know."

"I want to know you better and better."

The moment Shi Changyuan heard those words, his heartstrings were plucked.

Once again, he became certain that Lin Ling seemed to like him too.

It was only that this affection was still hazy, and he did not know how much weight it carried.

Shi Changyuan lowered his eyes to hide the emotions that were nearly surging forth and said simply, "The night before I ascended the throne, there was an assassination attempt."

Lin Ling's eyes widened at once, and he thought of the spy he had stumbled across before.

"Then... what about this one?" Lin Ling pointed at the wound on Shi Changyuan's shoulder.

"I don't remember which country it was. I was struck by an arrow while attacking a city."

Lin Ling pulled open Shi Changyuan's already loose robes and pointed to the wound on his abdomen. This one looked like the deepest and oldest scar. "What about this?"

"When I was a hostage, I stabbed myself to fake my death and escape."

Every battle Shi Changyuan mentioned could be linked, in Lin Ling's mind, to the protagonist who became the overlord of the world in Liu Xiangyu's storybooks.

But what Liu Xiangyu emphasized, what was recorded in books, and what others praised were all glorious victories.

Some of these scars, however, even Shi Changyuan himself no longer remembered.

Just as Lin Ling's nose began to sting, Shi Changyuan spoke beside him. "Lingling pulled open My clothes. Isn't he going to take responsibility and dress Me again?"

Lin Ling: ?!!

Lin Ling turned red all over again and hurriedly pulled Shi Changyuan's clothes back into place, wrapping him up tightly.

Shi Changyuan looked at Lin Ling, whose earlobes were red enough to bleed, and felt somewhat regretful. He had not even begun teasing the mushroom, yet the mushroom already looked as though he was about to be cooked. He wondered whether there would be another chance...

Afraid that soaking too long would leave him weak, Shi Changyuan soon summoned someone to bring more small blankets.

Seeing this, Lin Ling immediately stood and climbed toward the shore. His drenched inner robe clung to his body, and Shi Changyuan's gaze flickered down below his waist.

He swiftly grabbed a blanket and stepped forward to wrap Lin Ling in it.

Lin Ling turned back in confusion, but Shi Changyuan said nothing and merely helped him up.

After Lin Ling safely reached the shore, he turned to Shi Changyuan and urged, "Why aren't you coming up?"

"I'll stay a little longer." Shi Changyuan remained composed. "Go get dressed first."

Lin Ling suddenly understood. So Shi Changyuan was shy, just like him!

The two stayed at the imperial residence for the night. The next day, Lin Ling accompanied Shi Changyuan in rising early and heading to the Golden Luan Hall for morning court.

While Shi Changyuan attended court, Lin Ling waited patiently in a side hall. As he waited, he even fell asleep.

The entire court was surprised to discover that His Majesty seemed especially gentle today, as though afraid of startling the figure behind the screen and hanging curtains.

Once true winter arrived, Lin Ling was barely awake at all.

He was only awake for about two hours each day. Sometimes he woke once every three days to have dinner with Shi Changyuan. Sometimes he woke in the middle of the night, and Shi Changyuan would take him to watch fireworks and release lanterns.

When the snow began to melt, Lin Ling was still dreaming when he suddenly heard a group of little things chirping noisily.

"Oh my heavens, there's a Mushroom Spirit here who has already gained sentience! He is actually hibernating on the emperor's dragon bed!"

"Why is he still sleeping? Everyone will soon be heading to the Dragon Vein to cultivate. Doesn't he plan to seize a good spot?"

"How about we wake him? He's the prettiest Mushroom Spirit I've ever seen."

"Oh no, the emperor is here! Hide, hide!"

Those high, thin voices were so noisy that Lin Ling abruptly opened his eyes and complained, "So noisy. Get out!"

Shi Changyuan, who had just entered the bedchamber and suffered an undeserved attack: "...Hm?"

"Lingling?" Seeing that Lin Ling was awake, Shi Changyuan hurried over.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Realizing that he had attacked the wrong person, Lin Ling blinked guiltily. "Ah, no..."

Lin Ling was fully awake now. Recalling what had happened in his dream, he explained, "I think I dreamed of some chirping little spirits, but I wanted to sleep, and they seemed determined to wake me."

"It wasn't a dream."

Those tiny voices came again, though Lin Ling seemed to be the only one who could hear them.